Pilot program to expand early child care options for members of the Armed Forces and their families

(a)

Pilot program

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Defense shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to carry out a pilot program to improve the access of members of the Armed Forces and their families to high quality early child care opportunities by establishing partnerships with eligible child care providers— (A) to increase the capacity of those providers; (B) to improve early child care workforce development; and (C) to increase recruitment and retention of employees for eligible child care providers. (2)

Selection of eligible child care providers and networks of such providers

(A)

In general

Under the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to enter into a total of 12 partnerships with eligible child care providers, or networks of such providers, to, in communities under the jurisdiction of such Secretaries— (i) increase the number of early child care slots available to members of the Armed Forces and their families; (ii) facilitate recruitment and retention of employees for eligible child care providers; and (iii) provide additional professional development opportunities for such employees. (B)

Limitation

The Secretary may direct the Secretaries of the military departments to enter into not more than one partnership with each eligible child care provider, or network of such providers, under the pilot program required by paragraph (1). (C)

Locations

In selecting eligible child care providers or networks of such providers with which to enter into partnerships under the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary— (i) shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments— (I) to ensure that— (aa) each partnership is based at a different military installation; and (bb) at least one partnership is based at— (AA) a Navy installation that is not a Marine Corps installation; (BB) a Marine Corps installation; (CC) an Army installation; (DD) an Air Force installation that is not a Space Force installation; (EE) a Space Force installation; and (FF) a joint military installation; and (II) to consider— (aa) geographic diversity and population demographics to reflect the inclusion of multiple communities across the United States; (bb) the appropriate qualifications, consistent with Department of Defense regulations and training requirements and under applicable State and local laws, to provide services to meet the needs of eligible children; and (cc) existing resources available to the eligible child care providers or networks of such providers to train and support employees for eligible child care providers; and (ii) may authorize the Secretaries of the military departments to establish partnerships in communities near military installations with military child development centers or other existing early child care programs of the Department of Defense, including the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program. (3)

Authorized functions

In carrying out the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary may— (A) direct the Secretaries of the military departments— (i) to identify gaps between existing early child care needs and available eligible child care providers in communities where such Secretaries are considering establishing the pilot program; (ii) to use resources of the Department of Defense to support eligible child care providers in recruitment and retention of employees, including military spouses, including through professional development and financial incentives for such employees; and (iii) to seek to enter into an interagency partnership with a Federal agency with the ability to place national service participants and volunteers trained in education services, including senior volunteer programs, at military child development centers, including such a center at an installation selected for a partnership under paragraph (2)(C), in accordance with applicable national service laws and with all the benefits accorded to such participants and volunteers; and (B) provide training and resource subsidies to eligible child care providers and networks of such providers participating in partnerships established under paragraph (2). (4)

Requirements for participating providers

(A)

In general

An eligible child care provider or network of such providers participating in a partnership established under the pilot program required by paragraph (1) is required— (i) to provide assurances that the provider or network will not— (I) reduce early child care slots for nonmilitary families after entering into the partnership; or (II) enter into the construction of new child care facilities; and (ii) not later than 150 days after the establishment of the partnership, and every 180 days thereafter while the partnership continues, to submit documentation to the Secretary that the provider has complied with such assurances. (B)

Assessments

Not later than 180 days after the pilot program commences under subparagraph (A)(i) of paragraph (8), and every 180 days thereafter until the pilot program terminates under that subsection, the Secretary shall— (i) assess whether each eligible child care provider or network of such providers with which the Secretary of a military department entered into a partnership under paragraph (2)— (I) is providing the assurances required by clause (i) of subparagraph (A); and (II) has submitted adequate documentation under clause (ii) of that subparagraph of compliance with such assurances; and (ii) if the Secretary determines that the provider or network of providers is not providing such assurances or has not submitted adequate documentation of compliance with such assurances— (I) notify the provider or network that the provider or network has 90 days to comply with the assurances; and (II) if the provider or network does not comply with the assurances during that 90-day period, terminate the partnership. (5)

Location of pilot program

The Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to ensure that, pursuant to a partnership entered into under the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the program is administered at or near the site of the eligible child care provider or network of such providers with which the Secretary entered into the partnership at or near a military installation. (6)

Administration

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to develop one centralized administrative system to carry out the pilot program required by paragraph (1), which may include information on— (A) available military child development centers at military installations at which partnerships are established under the pilot program; (B) the number of early child care education slots available or needed at such installations; (C) the fees and costs associated for parents participating in the pilot program; and (D) other relevant administration and technical assistance matters. (7)

Reporting requirements

(A)

Briefings by Secretary of defense

(i)

Initial briefing

Not later than 180 days after the pilot program required by paragraph (1) commences under paragraph (8)(A)(i), the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on the implementation of the pilot program, including— (I) the demonstrated need for eligible child care providers in the locations of the pilot program, including— (aa) the number of such providers present at the start of the pilot program relative to the number of eligible children requiring care; and (bb) data on children served through the pilot program, disaggregated by criteria such as— (AA) the number of infants and toddlers served; (BB) providers offering early child care during nontraditional or extended hours; (CC) early child care in rural communities; and (DD) inclusive early child care services for children with disabilities; (II) the change in the number of eligible child care providers as a result of the pilot program; (III) the change in early child care education capacity for members of the Armed Forces and their families and an assessment of unmet need for such education; (IV) an assessment of the efficacy of the pilot program; and (V) an assessment of the compliance of child care providers participating in partnerships established under the pilot program with the assurances required by paragraph (4)(A). (ii)

Annual briefings on progress

Not later than one year after the pilot program required by paragraph (1) commences under paragraph (8)(A)(i), and annually thereafter until the termination of the pilot program under paragraph (8), the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on the progress of the pilot program. (B)

Final report by Secretary of defense

Not later than 120 days after the termination under paragraph (8) of the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of the military departments to submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a final report on the pilot program. (C)

Reports by government accountability office

(i)

Progress report

Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an interim report on the progress of the pilot program required by paragraph (1). (ii)

Final report

Not later than 120 days after the termination under paragraph (8) of the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a final report on the pilot program. (8)

Duration of pilot program

(A)

In general

The pilot program required by paragraph (1) shall— (i) commence not later than January 1, 2026; and (ii) unless extended in accordance with subparagraph (B), terminate on December 31, 2030. (B)

Extension

The Secretary may direct the Secretaries of the military departments to extend the pilot program required by paragraph (1) to terminate not later than December 31, 2032, if the Secretary notifies the appropriate committees of Congress not later than June 30, 2030, of the intention of the Secretary to extend the pilot program, along with a description of the benefits of extending the pilot program. (b)

Report on unmet need for child care in areas with significant populations of members of the armed forces

(1)

In general

Not later than September 30, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the unmet need for child care in areas with populations of members of the Armed Forces that includes— (A) a description of— (i) the unmet need for each military installation; and (ii) the fees and costs for parents or guardians seeking child care in those areas; (B) a review of the efforts of the Department of Defense to recruit and retain eligible child care providers; and (C) a plan for meeting the unmet need for child care. (2)

Assessment of child care in civilian communities

In assessing the unmet need described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall assess— (A) the availability of child care in civilian communities surrounding military installations; and (B) opportunities to provide additional professional development opportunities to eligible child care providers serving both civilian and military families in child care centers. (3)

Use and inclusion of data

The Secretary shall use in preparing the report required by paragraph (1), and shall include in the report, for each military installation, data on the number of members of the Armed Forces living on and off the installation with children under the age of 5, disaggregated by— (A) the ZIP Code for the location where the members reside; and (B) household status of the members, including— (i) the number of parents and guardians present in the household; (ii) the work status of the parents and guardians; and (iii) the total number of children under the age of 5 in the household. (4)

Collaboration

In preparing the report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider collaborating with a nongovernmental organization with— (A) access to, and a strong understanding of, State licensing systems for child care; and (B) a proven track record of working with States to map child care gaps utilizing a distance-based methodology. (c)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Appropriate committees of congress

The term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. (2)

Child care employee

The term child care employee has the meaning given that term in section 1800 of title 10, United States Code. (3)

Eligible child

The term eligible child means— (A) an infant or toddler; (B) a three- or four-year-old; or (C) a school-aged child. (4)

Eligible child care provider

The term eligible child care provider has the meaning given that term in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n). (5)

Military child development center

The term military child development center has the meaning given that term in section 1800 of title 10, United States Code.